True Wealth!

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Phil 4: 10-19; Lk 16: 9-15

Today’s Gospel highlights true wealth as belonging to and serving God. 

In the Gospel, Jesus identifies true wealth not with money, power, or prestige but with belonging to God whom we serve and whose esteem we seek. The Lord enlightens us with the meaning of true wealth in at least three ways.

1. True wealth is to employ our wealth for the purposes ordained by God. When Jesus invites us to ‘make friends for ourselves with dishonest wealth,’ he does not praise dishonesty or suggest amassing wealth. Instead, he wants us to understand why God has blessed us with wealth. Hence, wealth or richness must be used for God-intended purposes. In other words, true wealth is not what we acquire for ourselves but what we share with others. 

2. True wealth is to find esteem in God’s eyes. Jesus criticizes the Pharisaic attitude to seek justification in the sight of mortals. But for Jesus, finding esteem in God’s eyes has eternal value. Therefore, if God can tell us, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ (Mt 25:21), such is the greatest possession we can be proud of. A sincere heart is valued by God. Hence, we should shed the temptation to seek human approval and grow in our fidelity to God. 

3. True wealth is to find joy in serving God all our lives. It refers to the freedom and ability to surrender one’s life and talents to God’s hands. It starts with ‘being trustworthy in small matters.’ Hence, we must belong to God entirely, allowing no distraction to divide our attention. For this reason, a Christian is tasked with leading a life of higher purpose, in which God becomes the center of our life and decisions.

Let us pray for a heart that strives to become rich in the eyes of God.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar